Rothschild M, Schlein J
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1975 Oct 30;271(914):457-90. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1975.0062.
The jumping apparatus of the flea, which includes highly modified direct and indirect flight muscles, is described: attention is drawn to the various specializations of the exoskeleton which stiffen the thorax and also provide the 'click' mechanism triggering take-off. A finger-like invagination of tall cells within the cavity of the developing pleural arch of the pharate adult secretes the resilin pad. This is illustrated with coloured photographs. It is suggested that winglessness of a Mecopteran-like ancestor pre-adapted fleas to a parasitic life-style, and that a jumping mode of progression was a primitive feature of the whole Order. Scattered throughout the Siphonaptera today are species which have secondarily lost the pleural arch and with it the power to execute large jumps. These are usually found among fleas parasitizing mammals inhabiting caves, subterranean burrows and runs, high aerial nests and snow or ice-bound habitats. Large pleural arches are associated with fleas infesting large mobile hosts.
本文描述了跳蚤的跳跃器官，该器官包括高度特化的直接飞行肌和间接飞行肌：文中还提到了外骨骼的各种特殊结构，这些结构使胸部变硬，并提供触发起跳的“咔嗒”机制。在即将羽化的成虫胸膜弓腔内，高细胞呈手指状内陷，分泌出弹性蛋白垫。文中配有彩色照片进行说明。有观点认为，类似长翅目的祖先无翅使跳蚤预先适应了寄生生活方式，并且跳跃式的行进方式是整个蚤目的原始特征。如今在整个蚤目中分布着一些物种，它们次生失去了胸膜弓，随之也失去了进行大幅度跳跃的能力。这些物种通常见于寄生于栖息在洞穴、地下洞穴和跑道、高空巢穴以及冰雪覆盖栖息地的哺乳动物身上的跳蚤中。大型胸膜弓与寄生于大型活动宿主身上的跳蚤有关。
